Nothing ever goes as planned. Here it is, four weeks after my knee replacement surgery, and I’m still lying in my bed with a lap desk, writing this blog entry. I tried sitting at my desk this morning and just couldn’t do it. I can’t keep my knee down for more than a couple of minutes at a time.
I’m not complaining, mind you (well, not very much anyway). I’m happy with my progress. I have thrown aside the walker and am walking with a cane now. I can get around the house, make coffee and cook my own breakfast or lunch. It’s just taking much longer to recover than I anticipated and the pain is ever present.
I’ve added a couple of videos to show you my progress. The first is about a week after surgery. It is the first time I left the house. You will note my bathrobe. In real life, it is yellow and black. I think this is going to be one of those videos that goes viral because of the controversy over the color, like the blue and white striped dress that showed up as silver and gold on a video a week or so ago. Now I just have to figure out how to include llamas in my next video.
In the second video, I’m about a month out of surgery. You will note that I’m walking with a cane and almost look like a normal person. Or at least as normal as I get.
Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a couple of thousand words about my progress.
I’m not complaining, mind you (well, not very much anyway). I’m happy with my progress. I have thrown aside the walker and am walking with a cane now. I can get around the house, make coffee and cook my own breakfast or lunch. It’s just taking much longer to recover than I anticipated and the pain is ever present.
I’ve added a couple of videos to show you my progress. The first is about a week after surgery. It is the first time I left the house. You will note my bathrobe. In real life, it is yellow and black. I think this is going to be one of those videos that goes viral because of the controversy over the color, like the blue and white striped dress that showed up as silver and gold on a video a week or so ago. Now I just have to figure out how to include llamas in my next video.
In the second video, I’m about a month out of surgery. You will note that I’m walking with a cane and almost look like a normal person. Or at least as normal as I get.
Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a couple of thousand words about my progress.
I’m going through much more narcotics than the nurses want me to have. With this last refill, they gave me the warning that its time to start weaning myself off the drugs. I’m really trying, but it really hurts.
I’m supposed to take one Oxycodone tablet every four hours. In the morning this works, but as the day progresses and I put more stress on my new knee, one is not enough. Usually, by about 6 pm, I need a booster. By 8 o’ clock in the evening, I’m hurting so badly that one pill isn’t enough.
I see the doctor on Monday, so we’ll discuss this then.
I’m going stir crazy here. I haven’t been out of the house, except to go to a doctor’s appointment or to see the physical terrorists in a month.
Last Sunday, Dawn took me to a dog show. You read that right. Dog show. I was so desperate to get out of the house that I went with her to see the judging of the Great Danes.
There were thirty-nine Danes in the show. That’s a lot of dog flesh. That’s somewhere around three tons of dog, folks.
She dropped me off near the entrance, then went to park. I hobbled, with the aid of my walker, to the show ring and set up a camp chair. We sat for an hour or so and watched them judge Great Danes. It was mildly interesting. Dawn, of course, kept up a steady conversation with all of the other Dane lovers at ring side.
After about an hour, I’d had all I could take. My leg was hurting and I wanted to go home. I hobbled back to the parking lot and Dawn brought the truck around. She whisked me home and I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed recovering
I’m supposed to take one Oxycodone tablet every four hours. In the morning this works, but as the day progresses and I put more stress on my new knee, one is not enough. Usually, by about 6 pm, I need a booster. By 8 o’ clock in the evening, I’m hurting so badly that one pill isn’t enough.
I see the doctor on Monday, so we’ll discuss this then.
I’m going stir crazy here. I haven’t been out of the house, except to go to a doctor’s appointment or to see the physical terrorists in a month.
Last Sunday, Dawn took me to a dog show. You read that right. Dog show. I was so desperate to get out of the house that I went with her to see the judging of the Great Danes.
There were thirty-nine Danes in the show. That’s a lot of dog flesh. That’s somewhere around three tons of dog, folks.
She dropped me off near the entrance, then went to park. I hobbled, with the aid of my walker, to the show ring and set up a camp chair. We sat for an hour or so and watched them judge Great Danes. It was mildly interesting. Dawn, of course, kept up a steady conversation with all of the other Dane lovers at ring side.
After about an hour, I’d had all I could take. My leg was hurting and I wanted to go home. I hobbled back to the parking lot and Dawn brought the truck around. She whisked me home and I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed recovering
On Saturday this week, I had to get out of the house. Dawn loaded Odin and me into the Queen Mary (her 1998 GMC Yukon) and drove us down to the dog beach at Ocean Beach. I took a camp chair and set up on the ridge above the beach while Dawn and Odin climbed down the slope to my idea of hell.
There were several hundred people and dogs playing on the beach. People threw balls and Frisbees for the dogs to chase. Some people spread blankets and lounged on the beach while their beasts ran free.
As I said, I was sitting on a ridge about ten or twelve feet above the beach. A group of boys discovered the ridge. They took a running start, leapt off the ridge and landed in the soft sand below. This attracted a couple of young girls with boogie boards. They started setting their boards on the edge of the cliff, then jumping on and riding them down the steep slope. This went on for at least half an hour, with a proud papa filming the whole affair.
Odin is getting too old to play with the other dogs. He mostly walked around the beach, sat in the warm sand and occasionally fought Dawn for a palm branch.
Dawn offered to take me to lunch, but I had had enough. My knee was hurting and I just wanted to ice it down and put it up, so we went home.
I met with the surgeon on Monday. He was very pleased with my progress. He says that it will be about a year until the swelling is completely gone. He thinks I’ll be back on my feet (without the use of a cane) by May or June. I am ahead of schedule as far as the physical therapy goes. They measure everything and I’m pushing myself hard and it shows.
Of course, it comes at a cost. I hurt most of the time. After an exercise session or a visit to the physical terrorists, I’m beat. I take my pain pills and collapse for an hour or so.
I am making progress in other areas though. I am able to get my brain clear enough to do some work. I’ve posted my 2014 tax return for Victory Charters, sent in my passport renewal and am following up on my lost boat registration. My big goal for this week is to complete my income tax return.
I’m also easing my way back into writing. I managed to read a substantial section of Bikini Baristas to Dawn. I will send out manuscripts to beta readers this week and get going on my first re-write. I still hope to publish the book this spring, although I must admit that I am about a month behind schedule.
I’m also working on a BookBub promotion, so stay tuned. You just might be interested.
So, all in all, things are looking up. I know that eventually I will get past the surgical pain and I’m working hard at rehabilitating the knee. Now I’m dreaming of getting sailing again.
There were several hundred people and dogs playing on the beach. People threw balls and Frisbees for the dogs to chase. Some people spread blankets and lounged on the beach while their beasts ran free.
As I said, I was sitting on a ridge about ten or twelve feet above the beach. A group of boys discovered the ridge. They took a running start, leapt off the ridge and landed in the soft sand below. This attracted a couple of young girls with boogie boards. They started setting their boards on the edge of the cliff, then jumping on and riding them down the steep slope. This went on for at least half an hour, with a proud papa filming the whole affair.
Odin is getting too old to play with the other dogs. He mostly walked around the beach, sat in the warm sand and occasionally fought Dawn for a palm branch.
Dawn offered to take me to lunch, but I had had enough. My knee was hurting and I just wanted to ice it down and put it up, so we went home.
I met with the surgeon on Monday. He was very pleased with my progress. He says that it will be about a year until the swelling is completely gone. He thinks I’ll be back on my feet (without the use of a cane) by May or June. I am ahead of schedule as far as the physical therapy goes. They measure everything and I’m pushing myself hard and it shows.
Of course, it comes at a cost. I hurt most of the time. After an exercise session or a visit to the physical terrorists, I’m beat. I take my pain pills and collapse for an hour or so.
I am making progress in other areas though. I am able to get my brain clear enough to do some work. I’ve posted my 2014 tax return for Victory Charters, sent in my passport renewal and am following up on my lost boat registration. My big goal for this week is to complete my income tax return.
I’m also easing my way back into writing. I managed to read a substantial section of Bikini Baristas to Dawn. I will send out manuscripts to beta readers this week and get going on my first re-write. I still hope to publish the book this spring, although I must admit that I am about a month behind schedule.
I’m also working on a BookBub promotion, so stay tuned. You just might be interested.
So, all in all, things are looking up. I know that eventually I will get past the surgical pain and I’m working hard at rehabilitating the knee. Now I’m dreaming of getting sailing again.
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